Rest - Then the Rest

ARGYLE’S 2-1 win over Cheltenham Town ends a hectic start for Argyle to 2017 on a very positive note, allowing the team to head off for a rare period of rest with momentum on their side.

The Greens ended a run of six games in 22 days with a last-gasp win at the LCI Rail Stadium, with a Sonny Bradley header in stoppage time earning his side yet another vital three points in their hunt for promotion from Sky Bet League Two.

Strengthening their grip on a place in the top three and taking Liverpool all the way in the Emirates FA Cup, it’s been a memorable string of games for the Pilgrims. Now, though, with no game next weekend due to Blackpool’s continued participation in the Cup, manager Derek Adams has allowed the squad to take some time off to recuperate and prepare for the next run of key fixtures.

“They’ve been on a difficult run of fixtures and performed really well out of them against Liverpool and Stevenage,” said Derek. “When they came here, they were able to get themselves going. Today, they’ve been able to get a very important victory.

“This league is very competitive. Home or away, you’ve got to be at it on a weekly basis. We’re just delighted to come away from here with three points.

“We’ve been in a lot of the time, and the players are going to have a few days off now, because they’ve worked so hard – as has everyone at the football club. They deserve to get that rest.

“We’ve had a hard time travel-wise and had a lot of pressure on us. We’ve had a lot of work to do. We haven’t got a game until a week on Tuesday, so it’s good for us.

“The boys are going to have a few days off now and there’s only one better way to do that, and that’s to get a victory beforehand.”

There’ll be no rest for Adams, however, who will continue to work on adding more players to his squad during the January transfer window, to cover for injured players and create even more completion within the ranks.

“We’re still trying to do business,” said Adams. “Teams are either playing their players or waiting to get players in before they get players out, so I think it’ll be a busy time. We’ve scouted a good lot of players, and we’re just waiting for the say-so to.

“It could be a loan and a permanent signing. We’ll just have to wait and see. We’re definitely looking for a wide player, because we’ve been looking at that for the whole season. We’re after a few and we just have to hope we can get them.

“It’s important to just give us a bit more depth. We’ve got a lot of players out injured at the moment which hasn’t helped.”